Air Admiral
Active Member
"I thought you said you were a mercenary!" A Saber trooper hauled Rose off the floor, glowering. "From what I can tell, you can't even shoot a pistol without knocking yourself out, your athletic ability is... Well, you're strong as Hell, but you can't run and you can't seem to fight. The Hell kind of merc were you?"
"Noncombat. Data gathering and analytics." Rose's voice was small as she drew back against a table, where the P-1 that had busted her lip sat. She hadn't honestly been expecting the kickback, and she hadn't known how to react when her wrists rocked back, and the gun pushed hard against arms kept loose, just as she'd been told.
"So an egghead. Great. An egghead mercenary with the combat potential of a chihuahua. PINE!" He roared, before stalking off. "She's your problem."
Looking downrange, Rose noted a hole in the bottom left corner of the paper target before wiping the blood off her lip and sitting down to examine the pistol. Well, at least I hit the target this time.
Jack walked in from the observation area, "Oh stop your whining Rorik. We'll make her a commando yet. Sarah's running behind, something about picking up some things for a surprise later."
"Pffft, good luck commander, she's worse than Carl, and that's saying something." Rorik retorted before walking out.
"Fucking Carl, I refuse to allow anyone else stoop that low that I know has the brains to outclass him in every way. Now run through with me how far you actually got on your training." Jack said pinching the bridge of his nose in agitation.
"I got about as far as not knowing who Carl is..." Rose shyly picked up a USO P-1, and pulled the slide back just enough to see that there was a round in the chamber. Then she stood, exactly as she'd been told, the leg opposite her trigger hand back and providing support while both hands cupped the pistol, she aimed at the target. "Simple, really. I got stance and checking the weapon over down. I still either hurt myself or my shots go wide to the point where I wonder if they just handed me blanks."
Jack observed her stance closely and the manner in which she held the pistol, "You don't have to have your leg behind you as you might not always have the room behind to do so. Space your footing more, grip the pistol tightly, don't worry about the recoil, or try to predict it. The topside porting is meant to keep your aim down and centered but only works if you grip the pistol. Remember finger off the trigger until your ready to fire. Your aim will waver with the pace of your breathing, forming an infinity symbol path. Try and fire when it reaches the center."
"Okay." Her finger quickly pulled off the trigger, and onto the finger guard, her watching where the sights were lining up as she breathed. "Okay..."
On reflex, she squeezed, forgetting to reposition her finger first, and dragging the pistol down and to the left before her trigger finger slipped off the guard and hit the weapon's trigger, eliciting a loud bang and a puff of dust about halfway down the range. "Did I hit it?"
"No, but we'll get there. Hmmm, maybe something designed to mitigate recoil would be better. Here try this instead." Jack said before pulling his Styrling Silver Special .45 Caliber from its back holster.
"I think a P-1's what I'm most likely to use if I ever have to shoot somebody, so let's try to get me used to this thing." She noted the new bullet hole in the concrete, pulling her gun back to try and figure out what happened. Grumbling unhappily, she took up stance again, keeping her back straight and her stance wide as one hand came up under the magazine and she kept both eyes open. A quick breath in and she held it, clenching her chest before quickly firing off three rounds, losing her aim in the muzzle flare and hitting the target... Precisely once. Even then, the round barely clipped an ear.
"Yes but you need to know how to hand a pistol in general first, and the P1 wasn't designed for accuracy but as a "Get the fuck out of dodge" gun. Rapid fire and high capacity with a punch for just getting back to friendlier company. I can put one together for you, or even something a bit more tailored but first let's work on the basics. Anyone can shoot, it takes practice to improve aim and efficiency." Jack continued before one hand checking the special then aiming down range at the target one handed.
He fired until the slide locked back, almost all his shots finding dead center of the targets head, "That took years to get to, and that pre-military."
"My usual tactic is stay in orbit or turn invisible and wait to be passed by." Rose deadpanned, setting her empty pistol on the bench. "Any chance there are some stunners or something I can use? I mean, a wrist-mounted stunner was what I used when I got caught a few times. And I was hitting about one in five... At point blank... Okay, embarrassing, I know, but learning how to use a gun wasn't exactly high on my priorities. By the way, who's Carl?"
"Just the dumbest SOB I've had the displeasure of leading, he makes Beaumont look graceful. But a stunner is temporary, and a bullet permanent. By the way, Sarah was the one who proposed I train you. And to be honest I agree with her, we don't need a repeat of the last you died on. So we're going to do this, but maybe a break is in order. How about we do some CQC training?" Jack said reloading his pistol with practiced precision compared to the easier reloading of the P1 with it's flared mag well.
"I've still got that karambit I stole right before I died. So learning how to use it could be nice." Rose agreed, eyes narrowing in envy at Jack's practiced ease. She was good at disappearing from ship sensors and becoming invisible on the few times she did find herself on a battlefield, but the Pine siblings were right, and she knew it. "I think I do, anyway. Pretty sure it never made it off my old Revenant."
"Well that is great, but would you want something with reach as well, also we're starting with hand to hand first." Jack said before motioning her to follow as he headed back to the main building.
"Why do I have the feeling you're just gonna hand me my own ass a few times?" Nonetheless, Rose followed, checking to make sure her breakables would make it to her easily ditchable lab coat.
"Don't worry we'll take it step by step, and who do I look like? Uso, pfft, she just likes beating the shit outta people. Neko's and their dam back thrusters." Jack said trying to reassure Rose.
"I didn't know Nekos had thrusters." She tried to dodge the subject of hand to hand combat, tossing her lab jacket off to a nearby chair. "Actually, you look kinda like Sarah, who can sometimes toss me around."
"Yeah they have a lot of nasty surprises, but what do you expect from a race created for war? And I guess that's the family resemblances, though my damn mutations prevent my natural hair and eye color. I digress, we need to start." Jack finished as they entered the rec room and into the sparring area.
Kicking off her shoes, Rose stepped up to the mat. She worried that there were bad ideas and bruises coming, but this was something she had to learn. "Alright. Teach me how to surprise her."
"Surprise who? Uso, or Sarah?" Jack said removing his jacket, three guns, and knife. He kept his strap rigging on from his holsters and sheath.
"Alright, first let's start with punches and blocks then we can move on to the more complicated actions." jack said moving a very slow fist towards Rose.
She knew how to counter in theory, arching backward and dropping her weight onto a hip before the back of her hand was brought up to intercept. The motion moved her shoulders into position to throw a palm towards Jack's abdomen. But she also knew he had a counter for that, and if it was like Sarah's, she would momentarily find herself face first on the mat.
Jack simply moved to the side when her palm strike came before tripping her, "Simple is a good start."
While not exactly the counter his sister seemed to like to throw, Jack's was perfectly effective at sprawling Rose, and she quickly got up, pushing herself to her knees and standing in a fluid motion. "Simple is a good start. Look, I know how to punch things. I know the basic theory of blocking and I even dug up thousands of years of history of stances and forms from Earth, however mythical that place is."
Jack grinned, "Ok, so show me what you got. Come at me full force, no holds, no bars."
"No holds? Okay." Her arm cocked back and she rocketed forward, the haymaker a feint as she pulled her elbow in and left the ground to switch over into her more habitual noncontact with the ground as she spun, her toe touching the ground as her elbow came down in a sloppy attempt at an undercut.
Jack dropped low as he swept his leg into Rose's leg that still had contact with the ground before he came back up grabbing Rose around the waist holding her on the shoulder, "Well I could drop you, but this goes to show that an attack can come from anywhere and with any method."
With a grunt, Rose leaned back, hard, kicked her knees up as though trying to somersault and use his grip on her to throw Jack, but squalled as she found herself belly down in the mat with nothing to show for her effort but a good grip on Jack's belt and a faceful of his calf.
"Um, what move was that suppose to be?" Jack said genuinely puzzled, "and can you let go of my belt?"
"That was out of a pre-Yamatai zero gravity training manual, about five hundred years old. I can see why it's not used anymore." Rose let go, catching herself on one hand before rolling back on her knees. "Knowledge is not skill. I should learn to remember that. Can I go back to the lab, now?"
"haha, we'll make you an expert soon enough. Now come at me again, you need to learn from your enemy, Both in what they have to offer and what they do." Jack said taking a few steps away.
"Easier said than done." Rose cocked her head, bringing a foot out from under her to stand, then launching herself at Jack as though attempting to throw a wide right hook.
Jack decided to meet her head-on this time by getting in closely and quickly. Her planned uppercut ruined, she threw her arms wide and her shoulder down, trying to transition into a tackle before impact.
Jack dropped himself back to his back before kicking his legs up into Rose's abdomen as she went over, which threw Rose over top. Unable to compensate, she yelped and came down hard on her shoulder, a loud pop sound coming from it. The sudden grip flipped her over and slammed her back and legs into the mat with a solid whumph of air escaping her lungs.
It took a few seconds to gain enough breath to lean up and wheeze out "Okay, that hurt..."
"OK, that signals a break. You know what I did? I used your own energy and movement against you. It's the whole focus of my CQC style, with the occasional exception. This allows me to even the odds against stronger and larger enemies." Jack said offering her a hand.
Rose glowered for a moment, grabbing Jack's outstretched hand to let herself be pulled up. "I know what you did. In using my mass and speed, you didn't have to put any effort into that." She looked ashamed, bruised, and the impact and drag of the mat had dragged the tee shirt off her shoulder, which hung at an unusual angle. If it hurt, she was giving no indication, but the arm wasn't moving. "I... I'm not learning this, well, am I?"
"You're getting there, it takes time, and the will to adapt. How about we get food? Your gonna need your energy for later." Jack said taking her hand and pulling her up.
"Food sounds good." Rose made a slight bowing motion. "Thanks for kicking my ass, sir. Shows how much I need to learn. But if it helps, I imagine I'm closer to the skill level of someone like... Carl?"
"Believe me you've passed him a long time ago. And why are you showing gratitude, because it's weirding me out personally. Maybe it's about time we got you to eat real food because those ration bars seem to be impairing your behavior." Jack said chuckling at the last part.
"I'm showing gratitude because I learned five ways how to not land a punch." Rose was less than impressed with her performance and not entirely convinced of her passing this infamously dumb trooper. "But you're not raising my hopes and I happen to like those ration bars!"
"Yeah but your new body needs actual nutrients, and the preservatives in those aren't good for a growing body over extended periods of time." Jack said putting his hands in his pockets.
"You do realize I'm five foot six and about as grown as my body will ever be, right? I mean, sure, I didn't get my body optimized for ration bars, but at least I don't need constant monitoring of my blood sugar, anymore." She moved over to her lab coat, drawing one of the bars from the pocket. "I'm not gonna grow any further. This is what my genetic template dictated my height to be. By the way, could you pop my shoulder back in? It's starting to get a bit sore."
"Sure." Jack said before straightening her arm and shoving back into the socket with a loud pop and a grunt from her.
A nod of thanks and she opened the ration. "I dunno, everything else just tastes... Odd. I grew up on these. Everything else tastes a little weird."
"Well you're gonna have to get reacquainted sometime. Kinda reminds me of getting acquainted with Sarah a month ago after the op on Vice where she told me her real identity as my sister. Funny and ironic thing was that she was using the fake last name of Thorn." Jack said chuckling at the irony.
Rose gave a snort to that comment. "So should I just go ahead and use that? See how she reacts?" A bite came off the corner of her ration bar as she flexed her arm experimentally, wincing when she stretched it a bit too far.
Jack with a speed reflex honed in war, snatched the ration bar, "No, you need real food. And to be honest it would be weirder if you had her last name."
Rose made a small squeak as the bar was snatched out of her hand, and a mournful face. "My lunch... You want me to take the last name of Pine when I marry your sister or are you gonna give that back?"
"Wait what? Marry? When did this happen and.......oh god it's really going to happen. Do do, I have to call you sis or something?" Jack said hoping his dumbfoundedness wasn't apparent.
"Well... If you want..." Rose grinned inwardly, as Jack wasn't hiding his surprise well. "Though I might want to act surprised when she tells you what happened my last day off if I were you. Now, am I gonna have to fight you for that ration bar back or are you gonna give it back? Because I have more."
"[sigh] Fine, but you will eat something later, and I mean real food. Jesus, I go from being an orphan then come here and I can't stop more family from showing up." Jack said exasperated tossing her the bar before heading towards the door.
"Hey Jay, if you got time I would like to talk, Also on a one on one basis later." Jack spoke seemingly with moving his mouth to Jay through a neural comms network.
"On my way. ETA 5 minutes." Came the response within seconds.
Rose stuck out her tongue and made a noise of annoyance towards Jack before shoving the bar in her mouth and walking away, fully intent to defy the order of real food. Perhaps she'd find one of those Emery's rations she'd squirreled away before the body swap. "Remember, act surprised!"
"Nah that shouldn't be fucking hard, I still am." Jack said rubbing his temples as they walked.
"It's not like either one of us is likely to get pregnant and start spawning more of you." Rose grinned at the thought. Though it was rather horrifying to her, due to what she'd heard about babies, having never actually held one. "And I'm done with lunch on that thought."
"Isabelle should be giving birth soon on that note. And the day either of you gets pregnant is the day I lay down my guns and retire." Jack said as they entered the small mess of the S6 facility.
"Oh, but who's gonna protect us?" Rouse pouted. "But in all seriousness, I see Izzy and that looks like it hurts."
"As a Caelisolan her pain reception for birth is greatly reduced. And if I ever did that, hopefully by then Saber will be a real army, then they can protect our people. Something about having a PMC provide security for a government chafes me the wrong way. The only tie is money. Their loyal to Uso, not the people. Saber has everything invested in defending home, people, and government and not because we're paid to." Jack kinda ranted as he walked over to the vendor consoles and selected a meal, taking the tray that it dispensed and taking a seat at a nearby table.
For once, Rose looked squeamish, backing away from the vendors before plopping down across from Jack. "So that's why you want to train me so bad. The local military has no real point to mitigate collateral damage because they're paid to kill whoever invades the planet. Not to minimize loss of life. So you and Sarah figure military trained eggheads will have that knowledge and understanding, and will design weapons that even a mercenary can't cause horrific collateral with!"
"Oh that's the kicker, our military is technically four of the same woman named Vier who controls an army of drones, and our air force is the Skyguard who is 75% around the age of 17. The last two chafe me almost as much as the first, and the last actually pisses me off. I've seen enough dead child soldiers. Even if I can't pull them from the battle, I'll do my damnedest to help them survive. I came out here to get away from stupid wars and needless killing, and it's almost as bad out here. This is why I started this division and Saber. I feel too old for this shit, and here I am rambling on. I just want it to stop, to have a peaceful home. I want a place where kids and my children won't have to do the things I did when I was that age." Jack said rubbing his temples.
"Consider it done." She interrupted. "Your kids and mine, thanks to me and my team and all the other teams in there pulling things out our asses to make this a better world faster, will ensure that. I promise. Just point us in the right direction. And maybe not throw me into mats or let me bust my lip with pistols?"
"You're still going to finish training, that is out of my hands, and it's your fiances idea. Believe me, her training would be a lot less enjoyable than mine. We'll start with rifles next since their easier to control. But if we are going to change things, then we need Section 6 and by extension Saber to grow. We have a fleet now, but we need more ships, people, and resources." Jack said, now starting to eat whatever it was on the tray.
"Perhaps people like me. A bit of propoganda to slip through the Nepleslian underworld and the Yamataian dissenters... If there are any..." Her brows furrowed. She'd never heard anything about dissent against the Empire. "Still. People who want to get away, who need to. Former slaves, survivors, failed bioweapons and people all. These people will have skills. Skills build worlds. Not just one man and a dream. Baby steps."
Easy for her to say that. Her entire adult life had been one frantic scramble after another, all ending in her making a mistake not three weeks prior. "Don't get me wrong. I'm Nepleslian. We don't feel fear. But we do stress ourselves out..." A quick look away as the reference cleared her lips, then she looked back. "Often."
"Yeah I'm painfully aware of the nep way, who's military put me through five years of hell. Not the kinda world I want to make here. Sometimes I wonder how a childish tyrant like Uso ever succeeded at taking over a world. She made the place better, but she doesn't care."Jack said the first part a bit bitterly.
"That'll change. Eventually. Can I go back to the lab, now? I heard there's some new nuclear shells ready for testing."
"Jesus christ, I say I wanna make a better home and we're developing nukes. Fine, and only because I don't want some dumbass like carl fucking around with em." Jack said not bothering to hide his surprise.
"They're for mining." Rose lied, though they could be used for breaking up quarry rock fairly efficiently. "Though if you want to threaten the raiders with nuclear fire if they don't sit down, talk to us, and help out, go right ahead."
Rose stalked off as though insulted that one of her creations was first thought of use in war. A huff in her tone, back straight, slamming her palms against the table as she shot up and turned, marching away with a stiff, confident posture and a look of fury on her face that could make certain species of supersoldier reconsider their life choices. More that she was angry with herself for thinking of the thermonuclear shells as a weapon before pulling the idea of using them as mining equipment as a lie to Jack. Now, though, she was firmly set in the idea of reapplying them.
Jack sighed before getting up to follow after her. "Rose I'm sorry if I made you upset about your work, we can still use them."
"We will still use them. And many other world building technologies. We're making a better world, and I have science to do."
Lieutenant Nagato would proceed to fall in next to Rose, having come out from an adjoining hallway.
"Well then, I suppose radiation poisoning is at about the same moral level as fumes from coal mining. If you want to make a better world, start by figuring out what everyone else did wrong in the first place."
He then addressed the commander.
"I see you got her back on her feet. How's the training going?"
"First off, my bombs are clean. Efficient, no radioactive waste whatsoever, save some alpha bursts. Second, if you like split lips and dislocated shoulders, my training's going quite well." Rose crossed her arms and came to a dead stop, glaring at the Lieutenant. "It's not the best option, but it works in a satisfactory manner for now. We'll have more information soon, and I've made it clear that I'm noncombat before. I'm still getting used to being this tall, and frankly, I still don't think I'll ever quite be able to hit the broad side of a barn with a laser sight."
The lieutenant sighed.
"As much as I'd like to continue with the former, I think I'm starting to see why your trainer called me here. Look, I don't give a damn if you're 'non-combat'. You're in a combat unit. Plus, you can't fix anyone up if you're dead."
"My normal routine isn't fixing anything. I build shit. Make fireworks. And I tend to feed you guys the data that keeps people like Beaumont from having to fix you." Her bored deadpan and cocky smirk gave an air of flippance that belied her knowledge that these were things she actually needed to learn. "I can train up and practice my forms in downtime. But I'm not going to go out and get myself killed again."
"Rose you need to be prepared for field work. I'm not asking you to lead a charge here, I'm asking you to be prepared so you can defend yourself. I know Sarah would hate to see something happen to you again, especially with recent developments. Dammit, you need to survive, I can't have my people dying on me. I will not go through that again. If I have to papa bear my people's asses to get them to prepare, then so be it." Jack said concerned as he followed after the two.
"If something happened to you again, I don't know what Sarah would do, and I know we have ST, but I don't think I could watch that happen. So don't make me." Jack said placing a hand on her shoulder gently to hopefuly get her to slow down and talk this out.
Rose gave a huff. "Fine. You guys had something you wanted to discuss? I'm gonna go get my lip taken care of and take care of some lab work that's three days past due, and leave you boys to it. I'll practice my forms and spar with Carl later, if only to use him as a punching bag. Good? Good."
With a sweet smile and a sigh of exasperation, she walked off, rounded the corner, and was gone.
Jay quickly shifted off of the obvious friction between the two.
"You told her about Carl?"
"Yeah I figured an early warning about his brand of stupidity would be apt. How did he pass evals again, because some of us are still waiting for that answer?" Jack said taking the change in conversation in stride.
Jay - "Frankly, I don't even know. I'm considering moving him to a new squad anyways, to keep him out of the way. Now, about Rose..."
Jack - "Yeah she needs more practice time. And some more instruction."
Jay - "How much are we talking here?"
"At this point a shit ton. She's stubborn, and that's what's making it harder." Jack said as they neared his office.
"But that will take a bit to formulate and can wait till later, Me and you haven't really ever got to talk before other than one liners on sorties." Jack added the last bit with a smirk.
"Ah yes, there are a few things I would like to discuss with you." Jay said, stopping at the door too the office.
"After you, Mr. Pine."
"Jeez Jay, you make me sound old." Jack said as he entered his office and sat in his chair gesturing to the chairs before his desk.
The room consisted of polished wood panel floor and walls. Even the desk was as well, with displays on the walls behind the desk.
Jay calmly obliged, moving one slightly so that it was directly opposite Jack.
"I'll cut right to the chase. As good as it is, I'm starting to have my doubts about SABER's capabilities - in light of the recent loss of one of our operatives. Yes, I know, they all have ST backups, but that's beside the point. SABER is not infallible. Not to sound ungrateful, but they could use more and better equipment."
"That is certainly a noted concern and we are trying to develop new equipment. I gave you the squad so you apply your knowledge to the other half of that problem. You seem to have an inventive mind as well, the SHIVA proof of that, so any input you can give would be valuable. Hell take charge of the weapons department if you need to." Jack said agreeing.
Jay - "Very well. There's also the matter of force projection. I've considered expanding SABER with more teams, though I need to know how many more recruits we can pluck from the populace. With your approval, of course."
"As many as you need. With S6's current rate of expansion, SABER is hard pressed to keep up. We need numbers to gear now that we can." Jack said with a nod.
Jay - "We'll also need an officer training program - for the new squads. Plus, I could use a trained second in command."
"Take Sarah in that regard. She may be a sniper, but she has seen more years of combat then either of us." Jack said with a nod.
Jay - "Alright then, and would you be open to sending our officer recruits to Ragnarok PMC as part of their training?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure on that one, you would be mixing different ideals on that one." Jack said sounding doubtful.
"Ragnarok does the job, but forgive me if the idea of a government selling out it's security to a private army rubs me wrong. There is no loyalty to the people, or even the actual government, just the next paycheck." Jack said explaining, "Our people, are actually here for the people and their homes."
Jay - "I understand your concern, but the fact of the matter is Ragnarok has fighting experience, something we sorely lack. Not only that, but I think it would be better to put them in an unfamiliar environment. We can't be coddling them the whole way, and I've seen the way they operate. The recruits could benefit from that."
"Yes, but this also about any potential problems that could arise. Last thing we need is to disrupt Rag operations by sending people who might argue about certain actions Rag might do. Ragnarok doesn't operate like we do." Jack tried to clarify.
Jay sighed.
"Look, I don't like Ragnarok any more than you do, but we don't have many other options and I intend to exploit every opportunity to its full potential. Besides, they would only be observers - once they see how a real officer operates, they'll be less likely to panic in battle."
Jack slacked in his chair a bit.
"Then do it. If you feel this is needed then I trust you. Which brings me to the next topic of discussion.........you." Jack said casually.
"Excuse me?" Jay said, mildly confused.
"You remember the medical evals that you and everyone had to take, both for clearance of entry into SABER, as well as for setting up our ST backup systems?" Jack asked.
"Yes, what about them?" Jay replied inquisitively.
"They pointed out some interesting genetic markers, and I wanted to ask you about that. Your not in trouble, or anything, but it had similarities to someone else's medical file we have access to. Jay, are you a......clone?" Jack asked the last part somewhat awkwardly.
"I mean I get if you don't want to talk about it, but running a militant group I'm required to at least look in on things that might cause issues, or effect my troops." Jack added hoping to clarify.
Jay's expression hardened quickly at the mention of genetics.
"From here on out, we're off the books. Understood?"
"Jay do I look like a corporate man? When have they ever been on the books? This is me and you just talking." Jack said with a slightly worried expression at the sudden change in Jay's attitude.
Using his ocular implants to scan the room on all spectrums for any hidden mics or cameras, Jay continued.
"If any of this gets out... let's just say shit's gonna go down."
"You have my attention, Jay I would like to let you know that if your in trouble, You have us watching your back." Jack said his expression getting more worried.
Satisfied that there was nothing recording the conversation, Jay began to elaborate.
"Alex and I already talked about this, and he obviously kept his word. Technically... yes, I am a clone, but there were errors in the process. I figure Tasuki was most likely the source, but obviously I'm not him."
"Your Jay not Alex, they may have tried to copy him, but more often than not. That person becomes their own individual.", Jack said his surprise showing, "Wait, but who would want to clone Alex?"
"Same people who made him. We figure when he disappeared, they started on me. It doesn't matter anyways - I'm not entirely what they intended, and I was kidnapped before I could remember anything. After that, I was taken care of by a Nepleslian black market dealer. After a while, he let me go. And now I'm here."
"If it makes you feel better at least you don't have a clone of you that killed someone you know and they were the loved one of someone you respect." Jack said idly reaching over to his liquor cabinet before removing a glass and a medium bottle of bourbon.
"There's nothing to feel better about. What matters is here and now. Until I showed up on 188604, everyone I ever met was killed. Except for that dealer - he was smart enough to cover his tracks and sever all contact. The point is, although I wasn't what they expected, I am obviously still extremely valuable to them. Like I said before, this is dangerous shit."
"And you have no idea who this group was? They sound like a group that has a decent amount of influence, or a large enough presence at the least. A prime target for elimination if we can figure out who. They're definetly a threat, and the type of one best removed as it sounds. That's why I want you to tell me if you get the sense that they've found you. Also I would like you to do likewise for me." Jack answered as he poured a glass and began to sip from it. One more threat on their checklist.
"Psychopomp. PMC division, to be exact, though they won't likely admit it exists. Frankly, Tasuki know a lot more about them than I do. You should talk to him."
Jack froze, the glass in his hand cracking slightly, his expression becoming a mask of seriousness even as he raged in his mind, "The same company who made that bastard clone of me. The same one who made the thing that killed Araxie. The same sons of bitches who gave a part of my past life when it should have stayed buried." Jack said with a voice that even as leveled as it was did not hide his anger.
"Then you understand how dangerous they are. Being a ghost has its advantages, but it also makes you easy to track. There can be nothing left to indicate that I am even alive."
"Understood. Though, I believe if given the chance we need to end them. They pose a threat to everyone as long as they remain. And I for one want to have the pleasure of watching them burn." Jack said before sipping from his glass again as if he had never almost crushed it.
"Everything has its time, but now is not the time for retribution. I've been waiting my entire life for that, and there's nothing to be lost by waiting longer."
As he said this, Jay became visibly more relaxed - as if he'd been waiting to say this.
"Well, I suppose that's it then." He said as he got up to leave.
"Noncombat. Data gathering and analytics." Rose's voice was small as she drew back against a table, where the P-1 that had busted her lip sat. She hadn't honestly been expecting the kickback, and she hadn't known how to react when her wrists rocked back, and the gun pushed hard against arms kept loose, just as she'd been told.
"So an egghead. Great. An egghead mercenary with the combat potential of a chihuahua. PINE!" He roared, before stalking off. "She's your problem."
Looking downrange, Rose noted a hole in the bottom left corner of the paper target before wiping the blood off her lip and sitting down to examine the pistol. Well, at least I hit the target this time.
Jack walked in from the observation area, "Oh stop your whining Rorik. We'll make her a commando yet. Sarah's running behind, something about picking up some things for a surprise later."
"Pffft, good luck commander, she's worse than Carl, and that's saying something." Rorik retorted before walking out.
"Fucking Carl, I refuse to allow anyone else stoop that low that I know has the brains to outclass him in every way. Now run through with me how far you actually got on your training." Jack said pinching the bridge of his nose in agitation.
"I got about as far as not knowing who Carl is..." Rose shyly picked up a USO P-1, and pulled the slide back just enough to see that there was a round in the chamber. Then she stood, exactly as she'd been told, the leg opposite her trigger hand back and providing support while both hands cupped the pistol, she aimed at the target. "Simple, really. I got stance and checking the weapon over down. I still either hurt myself or my shots go wide to the point where I wonder if they just handed me blanks."
Jack observed her stance closely and the manner in which she held the pistol, "You don't have to have your leg behind you as you might not always have the room behind to do so. Space your footing more, grip the pistol tightly, don't worry about the recoil, or try to predict it. The topside porting is meant to keep your aim down and centered but only works if you grip the pistol. Remember finger off the trigger until your ready to fire. Your aim will waver with the pace of your breathing, forming an infinity symbol path. Try and fire when it reaches the center."
"Okay." Her finger quickly pulled off the trigger, and onto the finger guard, her watching where the sights were lining up as she breathed. "Okay..."
On reflex, she squeezed, forgetting to reposition her finger first, and dragging the pistol down and to the left before her trigger finger slipped off the guard and hit the weapon's trigger, eliciting a loud bang and a puff of dust about halfway down the range. "Did I hit it?"
"No, but we'll get there. Hmmm, maybe something designed to mitigate recoil would be better. Here try this instead." Jack said before pulling his Styrling Silver Special .45 Caliber from its back holster.
"I think a P-1's what I'm most likely to use if I ever have to shoot somebody, so let's try to get me used to this thing." She noted the new bullet hole in the concrete, pulling her gun back to try and figure out what happened. Grumbling unhappily, she took up stance again, keeping her back straight and her stance wide as one hand came up under the magazine and she kept both eyes open. A quick breath in and she held it, clenching her chest before quickly firing off three rounds, losing her aim in the muzzle flare and hitting the target... Precisely once. Even then, the round barely clipped an ear.
"Yes but you need to know how to hand a pistol in general first, and the P1 wasn't designed for accuracy but as a "Get the fuck out of dodge" gun. Rapid fire and high capacity with a punch for just getting back to friendlier company. I can put one together for you, or even something a bit more tailored but first let's work on the basics. Anyone can shoot, it takes practice to improve aim and efficiency." Jack continued before one hand checking the special then aiming down range at the target one handed.
He fired until the slide locked back, almost all his shots finding dead center of the targets head, "That took years to get to, and that pre-military."
"My usual tactic is stay in orbit or turn invisible and wait to be passed by." Rose deadpanned, setting her empty pistol on the bench. "Any chance there are some stunners or something I can use? I mean, a wrist-mounted stunner was what I used when I got caught a few times. And I was hitting about one in five... At point blank... Okay, embarrassing, I know, but learning how to use a gun wasn't exactly high on my priorities. By the way, who's Carl?"
"Just the dumbest SOB I've had the displeasure of leading, he makes Beaumont look graceful. But a stunner is temporary, and a bullet permanent. By the way, Sarah was the one who proposed I train you. And to be honest I agree with her, we don't need a repeat of the last you died on. So we're going to do this, but maybe a break is in order. How about we do some CQC training?" Jack said reloading his pistol with practiced precision compared to the easier reloading of the P1 with it's flared mag well.
"I've still got that karambit I stole right before I died. So learning how to use it could be nice." Rose agreed, eyes narrowing in envy at Jack's practiced ease. She was good at disappearing from ship sensors and becoming invisible on the few times she did find herself on a battlefield, but the Pine siblings were right, and she knew it. "I think I do, anyway. Pretty sure it never made it off my old Revenant."
"Well that is great, but would you want something with reach as well, also we're starting with hand to hand first." Jack said before motioning her to follow as he headed back to the main building.
"Why do I have the feeling you're just gonna hand me my own ass a few times?" Nonetheless, Rose followed, checking to make sure her breakables would make it to her easily ditchable lab coat.
"Don't worry we'll take it step by step, and who do I look like? Uso, pfft, she just likes beating the shit outta people. Neko's and their dam back thrusters." Jack said trying to reassure Rose.
"I didn't know Nekos had thrusters." She tried to dodge the subject of hand to hand combat, tossing her lab jacket off to a nearby chair. "Actually, you look kinda like Sarah, who can sometimes toss me around."
"Yeah they have a lot of nasty surprises, but what do you expect from a race created for war? And I guess that's the family resemblances, though my damn mutations prevent my natural hair and eye color. I digress, we need to start." Jack finished as they entered the rec room and into the sparring area.
Kicking off her shoes, Rose stepped up to the mat. She worried that there were bad ideas and bruises coming, but this was something she had to learn. "Alright. Teach me how to surprise her."
"Surprise who? Uso, or Sarah?" Jack said removing his jacket, three guns, and knife. He kept his strap rigging on from his holsters and sheath.
"Alright, first let's start with punches and blocks then we can move on to the more complicated actions." jack said moving a very slow fist towards Rose.
She knew how to counter in theory, arching backward and dropping her weight onto a hip before the back of her hand was brought up to intercept. The motion moved her shoulders into position to throw a palm towards Jack's abdomen. But she also knew he had a counter for that, and if it was like Sarah's, she would momentarily find herself face first on the mat.
Jack simply moved to the side when her palm strike came before tripping her, "Simple is a good start."
While not exactly the counter his sister seemed to like to throw, Jack's was perfectly effective at sprawling Rose, and she quickly got up, pushing herself to her knees and standing in a fluid motion. "Simple is a good start. Look, I know how to punch things. I know the basic theory of blocking and I even dug up thousands of years of history of stances and forms from Earth, however mythical that place is."
Jack grinned, "Ok, so show me what you got. Come at me full force, no holds, no bars."
"No holds? Okay." Her arm cocked back and she rocketed forward, the haymaker a feint as she pulled her elbow in and left the ground to switch over into her more habitual noncontact with the ground as she spun, her toe touching the ground as her elbow came down in a sloppy attempt at an undercut.
Jack dropped low as he swept his leg into Rose's leg that still had contact with the ground before he came back up grabbing Rose around the waist holding her on the shoulder, "Well I could drop you, but this goes to show that an attack can come from anywhere and with any method."
With a grunt, Rose leaned back, hard, kicked her knees up as though trying to somersault and use his grip on her to throw Jack, but squalled as she found herself belly down in the mat with nothing to show for her effort but a good grip on Jack's belt and a faceful of his calf.
"Um, what move was that suppose to be?" Jack said genuinely puzzled, "and can you let go of my belt?"
"That was out of a pre-Yamatai zero gravity training manual, about five hundred years old. I can see why it's not used anymore." Rose let go, catching herself on one hand before rolling back on her knees. "Knowledge is not skill. I should learn to remember that. Can I go back to the lab, now?"
"haha, we'll make you an expert soon enough. Now come at me again, you need to learn from your enemy, Both in what they have to offer and what they do." Jack said taking a few steps away.
"Easier said than done." Rose cocked her head, bringing a foot out from under her to stand, then launching herself at Jack as though attempting to throw a wide right hook.
Jack decided to meet her head-on this time by getting in closely and quickly. Her planned uppercut ruined, she threw her arms wide and her shoulder down, trying to transition into a tackle before impact.
Jack dropped himself back to his back before kicking his legs up into Rose's abdomen as she went over, which threw Rose over top. Unable to compensate, she yelped and came down hard on her shoulder, a loud pop sound coming from it. The sudden grip flipped her over and slammed her back and legs into the mat with a solid whumph of air escaping her lungs.
It took a few seconds to gain enough breath to lean up and wheeze out "Okay, that hurt..."
"OK, that signals a break. You know what I did? I used your own energy and movement against you. It's the whole focus of my CQC style, with the occasional exception. This allows me to even the odds against stronger and larger enemies." Jack said offering her a hand.
Rose glowered for a moment, grabbing Jack's outstretched hand to let herself be pulled up. "I know what you did. In using my mass and speed, you didn't have to put any effort into that." She looked ashamed, bruised, and the impact and drag of the mat had dragged the tee shirt off her shoulder, which hung at an unusual angle. If it hurt, she was giving no indication, but the arm wasn't moving. "I... I'm not learning this, well, am I?"
"You're getting there, it takes time, and the will to adapt. How about we get food? Your gonna need your energy for later." Jack said taking her hand and pulling her up.
"Food sounds good." Rose made a slight bowing motion. "Thanks for kicking my ass, sir. Shows how much I need to learn. But if it helps, I imagine I'm closer to the skill level of someone like... Carl?"
"Believe me you've passed him a long time ago. And why are you showing gratitude, because it's weirding me out personally. Maybe it's about time we got you to eat real food because those ration bars seem to be impairing your behavior." Jack said chuckling at the last part.
"I'm showing gratitude because I learned five ways how to not land a punch." Rose was less than impressed with her performance and not entirely convinced of her passing this infamously dumb trooper. "But you're not raising my hopes and I happen to like those ration bars!"
"Yeah but your new body needs actual nutrients, and the preservatives in those aren't good for a growing body over extended periods of time." Jack said putting his hands in his pockets.
"You do realize I'm five foot six and about as grown as my body will ever be, right? I mean, sure, I didn't get my body optimized for ration bars, but at least I don't need constant monitoring of my blood sugar, anymore." She moved over to her lab coat, drawing one of the bars from the pocket. "I'm not gonna grow any further. This is what my genetic template dictated my height to be. By the way, could you pop my shoulder back in? It's starting to get a bit sore."
"Sure." Jack said before straightening her arm and shoving back into the socket with a loud pop and a grunt from her.
A nod of thanks and she opened the ration. "I dunno, everything else just tastes... Odd. I grew up on these. Everything else tastes a little weird."
"Well you're gonna have to get reacquainted sometime. Kinda reminds me of getting acquainted with Sarah a month ago after the op on Vice where she told me her real identity as my sister. Funny and ironic thing was that she was using the fake last name of Thorn." Jack said chuckling at the irony.
Rose gave a snort to that comment. "So should I just go ahead and use that? See how she reacts?" A bite came off the corner of her ration bar as she flexed her arm experimentally, wincing when she stretched it a bit too far.
Jack with a speed reflex honed in war, snatched the ration bar, "No, you need real food. And to be honest it would be weirder if you had her last name."
Rose made a small squeak as the bar was snatched out of her hand, and a mournful face. "My lunch... You want me to take the last name of Pine when I marry your sister or are you gonna give that back?"
"Wait what? Marry? When did this happen and.......oh god it's really going to happen. Do do, I have to call you sis or something?" Jack said hoping his dumbfoundedness wasn't apparent.
"Well... If you want..." Rose grinned inwardly, as Jack wasn't hiding his surprise well. "Though I might want to act surprised when she tells you what happened my last day off if I were you. Now, am I gonna have to fight you for that ration bar back or are you gonna give it back? Because I have more."
"[sigh] Fine, but you will eat something later, and I mean real food. Jesus, I go from being an orphan then come here and I can't stop more family from showing up." Jack said exasperated tossing her the bar before heading towards the door.
"Hey Jay, if you got time I would like to talk, Also on a one on one basis later." Jack spoke seemingly with moving his mouth to Jay through a neural comms network.
"On my way. ETA 5 minutes." Came the response within seconds.
Rose stuck out her tongue and made a noise of annoyance towards Jack before shoving the bar in her mouth and walking away, fully intent to defy the order of real food. Perhaps she'd find one of those Emery's rations she'd squirreled away before the body swap. "Remember, act surprised!"
"Nah that shouldn't be fucking hard, I still am." Jack said rubbing his temples as they walked.
"It's not like either one of us is likely to get pregnant and start spawning more of you." Rose grinned at the thought. Though it was rather horrifying to her, due to what she'd heard about babies, having never actually held one. "And I'm done with lunch on that thought."
"Isabelle should be giving birth soon on that note. And the day either of you gets pregnant is the day I lay down my guns and retire." Jack said as they entered the small mess of the S6 facility.
"Oh, but who's gonna protect us?" Rouse pouted. "But in all seriousness, I see Izzy and that looks like it hurts."
"As a Caelisolan her pain reception for birth is greatly reduced. And if I ever did that, hopefully by then Saber will be a real army, then they can protect our people. Something about having a PMC provide security for a government chafes me the wrong way. The only tie is money. Their loyal to Uso, not the people. Saber has everything invested in defending home, people, and government and not because we're paid to." Jack kinda ranted as he walked over to the vendor consoles and selected a meal, taking the tray that it dispensed and taking a seat at a nearby table.
For once, Rose looked squeamish, backing away from the vendors before plopping down across from Jack. "So that's why you want to train me so bad. The local military has no real point to mitigate collateral damage because they're paid to kill whoever invades the planet. Not to minimize loss of life. So you and Sarah figure military trained eggheads will have that knowledge and understanding, and will design weapons that even a mercenary can't cause horrific collateral with!"
"Oh that's the kicker, our military is technically four of the same woman named Vier who controls an army of drones, and our air force is the Skyguard who is 75% around the age of 17. The last two chafe me almost as much as the first, and the last actually pisses me off. I've seen enough dead child soldiers. Even if I can't pull them from the battle, I'll do my damnedest to help them survive. I came out here to get away from stupid wars and needless killing, and it's almost as bad out here. This is why I started this division and Saber. I feel too old for this shit, and here I am rambling on. I just want it to stop, to have a peaceful home. I want a place where kids and my children won't have to do the things I did when I was that age." Jack said rubbing his temples.
"Consider it done." She interrupted. "Your kids and mine, thanks to me and my team and all the other teams in there pulling things out our asses to make this a better world faster, will ensure that. I promise. Just point us in the right direction. And maybe not throw me into mats or let me bust my lip with pistols?"
"You're still going to finish training, that is out of my hands, and it's your fiances idea. Believe me, her training would be a lot less enjoyable than mine. We'll start with rifles next since their easier to control. But if we are going to change things, then we need Section 6 and by extension Saber to grow. We have a fleet now, but we need more ships, people, and resources." Jack said, now starting to eat whatever it was on the tray.
"Perhaps people like me. A bit of propoganda to slip through the Nepleslian underworld and the Yamataian dissenters... If there are any..." Her brows furrowed. She'd never heard anything about dissent against the Empire. "Still. People who want to get away, who need to. Former slaves, survivors, failed bioweapons and people all. These people will have skills. Skills build worlds. Not just one man and a dream. Baby steps."
Easy for her to say that. Her entire adult life had been one frantic scramble after another, all ending in her making a mistake not three weeks prior. "Don't get me wrong. I'm Nepleslian. We don't feel fear. But we do stress ourselves out..." A quick look away as the reference cleared her lips, then she looked back. "Often."
"Yeah I'm painfully aware of the nep way, who's military put me through five years of hell. Not the kinda world I want to make here. Sometimes I wonder how a childish tyrant like Uso ever succeeded at taking over a world. She made the place better, but she doesn't care."Jack said the first part a bit bitterly.
"That'll change. Eventually. Can I go back to the lab, now? I heard there's some new nuclear shells ready for testing."
"Jesus christ, I say I wanna make a better home and we're developing nukes. Fine, and only because I don't want some dumbass like carl fucking around with em." Jack said not bothering to hide his surprise.
"They're for mining." Rose lied, though they could be used for breaking up quarry rock fairly efficiently. "Though if you want to threaten the raiders with nuclear fire if they don't sit down, talk to us, and help out, go right ahead."
Rose stalked off as though insulted that one of her creations was first thought of use in war. A huff in her tone, back straight, slamming her palms against the table as she shot up and turned, marching away with a stiff, confident posture and a look of fury on her face that could make certain species of supersoldier reconsider their life choices. More that she was angry with herself for thinking of the thermonuclear shells as a weapon before pulling the idea of using them as mining equipment as a lie to Jack. Now, though, she was firmly set in the idea of reapplying them.
Jack sighed before getting up to follow after her. "Rose I'm sorry if I made you upset about your work, we can still use them."
"We will still use them. And many other world building technologies. We're making a better world, and I have science to do."
Lieutenant Nagato would proceed to fall in next to Rose, having come out from an adjoining hallway.
"Well then, I suppose radiation poisoning is at about the same moral level as fumes from coal mining. If you want to make a better world, start by figuring out what everyone else did wrong in the first place."
He then addressed the commander.
"I see you got her back on her feet. How's the training going?"
"First off, my bombs are clean. Efficient, no radioactive waste whatsoever, save some alpha bursts. Second, if you like split lips and dislocated shoulders, my training's going quite well." Rose crossed her arms and came to a dead stop, glaring at the Lieutenant. "It's not the best option, but it works in a satisfactory manner for now. We'll have more information soon, and I've made it clear that I'm noncombat before. I'm still getting used to being this tall, and frankly, I still don't think I'll ever quite be able to hit the broad side of a barn with a laser sight."
The lieutenant sighed.
"As much as I'd like to continue with the former, I think I'm starting to see why your trainer called me here. Look, I don't give a damn if you're 'non-combat'. You're in a combat unit. Plus, you can't fix anyone up if you're dead."
"My normal routine isn't fixing anything. I build shit. Make fireworks. And I tend to feed you guys the data that keeps people like Beaumont from having to fix you." Her bored deadpan and cocky smirk gave an air of flippance that belied her knowledge that these were things she actually needed to learn. "I can train up and practice my forms in downtime. But I'm not going to go out and get myself killed again."
"Rose you need to be prepared for field work. I'm not asking you to lead a charge here, I'm asking you to be prepared so you can defend yourself. I know Sarah would hate to see something happen to you again, especially with recent developments. Dammit, you need to survive, I can't have my people dying on me. I will not go through that again. If I have to papa bear my people's asses to get them to prepare, then so be it." Jack said concerned as he followed after the two.
"If something happened to you again, I don't know what Sarah would do, and I know we have ST, but I don't think I could watch that happen. So don't make me." Jack said placing a hand on her shoulder gently to hopefuly get her to slow down and talk this out.
Rose gave a huff. "Fine. You guys had something you wanted to discuss? I'm gonna go get my lip taken care of and take care of some lab work that's three days past due, and leave you boys to it. I'll practice my forms and spar with Carl later, if only to use him as a punching bag. Good? Good."
With a sweet smile and a sigh of exasperation, she walked off, rounded the corner, and was gone.
Jay quickly shifted off of the obvious friction between the two.
"You told her about Carl?"
"Yeah I figured an early warning about his brand of stupidity would be apt. How did he pass evals again, because some of us are still waiting for that answer?" Jack said taking the change in conversation in stride.
Jay - "Frankly, I don't even know. I'm considering moving him to a new squad anyways, to keep him out of the way. Now, about Rose..."
Jack - "Yeah she needs more practice time. And some more instruction."
Jay - "How much are we talking here?"
"At this point a shit ton. She's stubborn, and that's what's making it harder." Jack said as they neared his office.
"But that will take a bit to formulate and can wait till later, Me and you haven't really ever got to talk before other than one liners on sorties." Jack added the last bit with a smirk.
"Ah yes, there are a few things I would like to discuss with you." Jay said, stopping at the door too the office.
"After you, Mr. Pine."
"Jeez Jay, you make me sound old." Jack said as he entered his office and sat in his chair gesturing to the chairs before his desk.
The room consisted of polished wood panel floor and walls. Even the desk was as well, with displays on the walls behind the desk.
Jay calmly obliged, moving one slightly so that it was directly opposite Jack.
"I'll cut right to the chase. As good as it is, I'm starting to have my doubts about SABER's capabilities - in light of the recent loss of one of our operatives. Yes, I know, they all have ST backups, but that's beside the point. SABER is not infallible. Not to sound ungrateful, but they could use more and better equipment."
"That is certainly a noted concern and we are trying to develop new equipment. I gave you the squad so you apply your knowledge to the other half of that problem. You seem to have an inventive mind as well, the SHIVA proof of that, so any input you can give would be valuable. Hell take charge of the weapons department if you need to." Jack said agreeing.
Jay - "Very well. There's also the matter of force projection. I've considered expanding SABER with more teams, though I need to know how many more recruits we can pluck from the populace. With your approval, of course."
"As many as you need. With S6's current rate of expansion, SABER is hard pressed to keep up. We need numbers to gear now that we can." Jack said with a nod.
Jay - "We'll also need an officer training program - for the new squads. Plus, I could use a trained second in command."
"Take Sarah in that regard. She may be a sniper, but she has seen more years of combat then either of us." Jack said with a nod.
Jay - "Alright then, and would you be open to sending our officer recruits to Ragnarok PMC as part of their training?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure on that one, you would be mixing different ideals on that one." Jack said sounding doubtful.
"Ragnarok does the job, but forgive me if the idea of a government selling out it's security to a private army rubs me wrong. There is no loyalty to the people, or even the actual government, just the next paycheck." Jack said explaining, "Our people, are actually here for the people and their homes."
Jay - "I understand your concern, but the fact of the matter is Ragnarok has fighting experience, something we sorely lack. Not only that, but I think it would be better to put them in an unfamiliar environment. We can't be coddling them the whole way, and I've seen the way they operate. The recruits could benefit from that."
"Yes, but this also about any potential problems that could arise. Last thing we need is to disrupt Rag operations by sending people who might argue about certain actions Rag might do. Ragnarok doesn't operate like we do." Jack tried to clarify.
Jay sighed.
"Look, I don't like Ragnarok any more than you do, but we don't have many other options and I intend to exploit every opportunity to its full potential. Besides, they would only be observers - once they see how a real officer operates, they'll be less likely to panic in battle."
Jack slacked in his chair a bit.
"Then do it. If you feel this is needed then I trust you. Which brings me to the next topic of discussion.........you." Jack said casually.
"Excuse me?" Jay said, mildly confused.
"You remember the medical evals that you and everyone had to take, both for clearance of entry into SABER, as well as for setting up our ST backup systems?" Jack asked.
"Yes, what about them?" Jay replied inquisitively.
"They pointed out some interesting genetic markers, and I wanted to ask you about that. Your not in trouble, or anything, but it had similarities to someone else's medical file we have access to. Jay, are you a......clone?" Jack asked the last part somewhat awkwardly.
"I mean I get if you don't want to talk about it, but running a militant group I'm required to at least look in on things that might cause issues, or effect my troops." Jack added hoping to clarify.
Jay's expression hardened quickly at the mention of genetics.
"From here on out, we're off the books. Understood?"
"Jay do I look like a corporate man? When have they ever been on the books? This is me and you just talking." Jack said with a slightly worried expression at the sudden change in Jay's attitude.
Using his ocular implants to scan the room on all spectrums for any hidden mics or cameras, Jay continued.
"If any of this gets out... let's just say shit's gonna go down."
"You have my attention, Jay I would like to let you know that if your in trouble, You have us watching your back." Jack said his expression getting more worried.
Satisfied that there was nothing recording the conversation, Jay began to elaborate.
"Alex and I already talked about this, and he obviously kept his word. Technically... yes, I am a clone, but there were errors in the process. I figure Tasuki was most likely the source, but obviously I'm not him."
"Your Jay not Alex, they may have tried to copy him, but more often than not. That person becomes their own individual.", Jack said his surprise showing, "Wait, but who would want to clone Alex?"
"Same people who made him. We figure when he disappeared, they started on me. It doesn't matter anyways - I'm not entirely what they intended, and I was kidnapped before I could remember anything. After that, I was taken care of by a Nepleslian black market dealer. After a while, he let me go. And now I'm here."
"If it makes you feel better at least you don't have a clone of you that killed someone you know and they were the loved one of someone you respect." Jack said idly reaching over to his liquor cabinet before removing a glass and a medium bottle of bourbon.
"There's nothing to feel better about. What matters is here and now. Until I showed up on 188604, everyone I ever met was killed. Except for that dealer - he was smart enough to cover his tracks and sever all contact. The point is, although I wasn't what they expected, I am obviously still extremely valuable to them. Like I said before, this is dangerous shit."
"And you have no idea who this group was? They sound like a group that has a decent amount of influence, or a large enough presence at the least. A prime target for elimination if we can figure out who. They're definetly a threat, and the type of one best removed as it sounds. That's why I want you to tell me if you get the sense that they've found you. Also I would like you to do likewise for me." Jack answered as he poured a glass and began to sip from it. One more threat on their checklist.
"Psychopomp. PMC division, to be exact, though they won't likely admit it exists. Frankly, Tasuki know a lot more about them than I do. You should talk to him."
Jack froze, the glass in his hand cracking slightly, his expression becoming a mask of seriousness even as he raged in his mind, "The same company who made that bastard clone of me. The same one who made the thing that killed Araxie. The same sons of bitches who gave a part of my past life when it should have stayed buried." Jack said with a voice that even as leveled as it was did not hide his anger.
"Then you understand how dangerous they are. Being a ghost has its advantages, but it also makes you easy to track. There can be nothing left to indicate that I am even alive."
"Understood. Though, I believe if given the chance we need to end them. They pose a threat to everyone as long as they remain. And I for one want to have the pleasure of watching them burn." Jack said before sipping from his glass again as if he had never almost crushed it.
"Everything has its time, but now is not the time for retribution. I've been waiting my entire life for that, and there's nothing to be lost by waiting longer."
As he said this, Jay became visibly more relaxed - as if he'd been waiting to say this.
"Well, I suppose that's it then." He said as he got up to leave.
